Resident heartbroken as 25m of land washed away

06/06/2016

A Sydney resident broke down on camera after seeing the dreadful extent of storm damage to her waterfront property.

Around 25 metres of land was washed away from resident Zaza Silk's property in Sydney's Collaroy as a huge storm hit Australia's east coast. The wave also washed away the entirety of her neighbour's in-ground pool.

Around seven houses and a unit block were evacuated close to the property.

Waves splashed 50 metres onto the main road, damaging houses and the local beach club. In their wake, debris clutters the main beach.

Ms Silk collapsed on camera today as she recounted the rapid destruction.

"Within three hours we had a garden that was just totally destroyed, gone," Ms Silk told 7 News with tears in her eyes.

"Then the garden fence went, and then slowly as the day progressed it got closer and closer, and then the police arrived and said, 'You've got to go'."

She came back on Monday morning to the sight of her two-storey house overhanging the ocean.

"I never thought it would be this bad."

Ms Silk said residents had been urging the local council to install a sea wall to protect from such damage.

"It's not fair; it's really not fair. This could have been avoided if the council had got their act together and put up a sea wall."

She said her cat was still locked inside the house.

"I can't even get into the house to check on the cat. The cat's in there. We've locked him in."

A local told ABC News it was the worst he had seen it in the 40 years he had been living in the area.

UNSW coastal engineer Mitchell Harley said Collaroy had been found to be one of the top five erosion hot-spots along the New South Wales Coast.

More than 100 northern beach residents stayed in two evacuation centres last night, where they were provided with shelter, food and blankets.

Crews have headed to the area to assess the damage.

New South Wales, including Sydney, was struck hardest, with wind, rains, gales and rough seas forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes. Warnings were issued for several areas along the coast overnight.